Written questions by Lockhart.

What steps his Department is taking to support vulnerable people with fluctuations in the cost of energy.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers, including vulnerable individuals, permanently. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past. However, we recognise the need to support vulnerable households struggling with their bills as we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we delivered the £150 Warm Home Discount to around 3 million households last winter. In February, we published a consultation to expand the Warm Home Discount to bring an extra 2.7 million households into the scheme, which would push the total number of eligible households up to around 6 million households from next winter. The consultation has now closed, and the Department is evaluating responses. I urge any vulnerable households struggling with their energy bills to contact their supplier, local authority, or Citizens Advice to see what support they can receive.

What recommendations the Motor Insurance Taskforce has made on reducing motor insurance costs.

This Taskforce has a strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums. It will look at the impact of increased insurance costs on consumers and the insurance industry, including how this impacts different demographics, geographies, and communities. The cross-Government Motor Insurance Taskforce most recently met on 28 April 2025 and further meetings are being planned. The Secretary of State also met with the Northern Ireland Executive’s Minister for the Economy and officials from the Department for Infrastructure on 6 May 2025, to hear their perspective on the market and relevant policy options. The Taskforce has yet to make recommendations. The Government will provide updates on the Taskforce in due course.

What resources she could make available to the (a) Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (b) Police Service of Northern Ireland and (c) Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service in the event of a major wildfire outbreak in Northern Ireland.

I pay tribute to all those who work to tackle and support recovery from major wildfire outbreaks like those seen recently in the Mourne area. This Government has provided the Northern Ireland Executive with a record £18.2 billion settlement for 2025-26. That translates into over £1.5 billion more in 2025-26 and the largest settlement in the history of devolution. It is for the Executive to allocate the funding in line with its priorities and to address emerging challenges.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs how much and what proportion of the humanitarian aid budget has been allocated to preventing (a) maternal and (b) newborn deaths over the past three years; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reductions in the humanitarian aid budget on future funding in this area.

Official Development Assistance (ODA) expenditure is reported via the Statistics on International Development publications (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-on-international-development).We report spending based on OECD Development and Assistance Committee sector codes. The UK takes a multisectoral approach to ending preventable maternal, child and newborn deaths. We do not hold data to accurately estimate the humanitarian aid budget specifically for preventing maternal and newborn deaths. The tables below show bilateral spending on sectors contributing to Reproductive Maternal Newborn and Child Health but do not represent that the total of this funding was therefore used on it as it is not possible to disaggregate. Core funding was excluded from these estimates, as it is used flexibly by partners and its contribution to specific sectors cannot be tracked directly.Table 1: UK humanitarian programme bilateral ODA on sector codes contributing to Reproductive Maternal Newborn and Child Health (RMNCH), in £: 202120222023Humanitarian bilateral ODA on sector codes contributing to RMCNH44,100,00045,200,00031,000,000 Note: figures rounded to the nearest hundred thousand. Based on OECD sector codes: 12110, 12220, 12240, 12250, 12261, 12262, 12263, 12281, 13020, 13040, 14030, 14031, 14032.The transition to spending 0.3 per cent of GNI on ODA will require significant shifts, building on those already underway as the government implements its modernised approach to development. Decisions on how the ODA budget will be used are being worked through, based on various factors including impact assessments.

What progress he has made on the suicide prevention strategy; and what steps he is taking to help reduce suicide rates.

There has been significant work and progress across the Government, the National Health Service, the police, the voluntary sector, academia, and wider partners to deliver the strategy.As part of our mission to build an NHS that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government will recruit 8,500 mental health workers specially trained to support people at risk of suicide, to help ease pressure on busy mental health services.The Government also continues to fund the Multicentre Study of Self-harm, whose work is vital in informing the development of policy, and of clinical practice.The Online Safety Act puts new duties on social media companies and search services to help protect children and adults from harmful content online.Between August 2023 and March 2025, £10 million was made available to voluntary, community, and social enterprises in England through the national 2023 to 2025 Suicide Prevention Grant Fund. The Department is now evaluating the impact of the fund, and learning from the evaluation will help to inform the delivery of the Government’s mission to reduce the lives lost to suicide.

What steps his Department is taking to tackle (a) harassment, (b) sexual assault and (c) misconduct against women in the armed forces; and if he will introduce an independent body to handle serious complaints of (i) harassment and (ii) misconduct.

There is no place for harassment or any form of abuse within the Armed Forces – or anywhere within Defence.Last month the Minister for Veterans and People announced the formation of a new tri-Service complaints unit for the Armed Forces. The new team will be independent of the single Service chain of command to provide individuals with greater confidence and help ensure that the most serious complaints, including bullying, harassment and misconduct, are dealt with quickly. The Ministry of Defence is also setting up a Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Taskforce which will be supported by a network of regional VAWG Advisors, trained to offer support on topics including domestic violence and sexual offending. These roles will connect with existing networks of multidisciplinary experts to support Armed Forces personnel, including healthcare providers, social workers, and HR advisors, in particular working hand in glove with the Victim and Witness Care Unit. The VAWG Taskforce will provide an escalation route independent from the military chain of command, directly up to ministerial level if required. The upcoming Armed Forces Bill will also introduce new measures to ensure the Service Justice System protects victims of the most serious offences, including sexual assault. The Government is also establishing an Armed Forces Commissioner as a new independent champion with the power to investigate issues raised by Service personnel and their families.

Innovation and Technology what safeguards are in place to ensure that his officials do not input (a) sensitive and (b) classified information into artificial intelligence tools.

All civil servants are trained in appropriate information management practices for handling sensitive or classified information. We draw on a range of resources, published on GOV.UK, to inform our AI usage. For example the AI Playbook for the UK Government, the Ethics, Transparency and Accountability Framework, and the generative AI framework on GOV.UK which includes a section on using generative AI safely and responsibly.OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE information can safely be included in prompts to AI tools that are hosted within the DSIT IT eco-system, or by providers with whom the department has an agreement in place around the secure processing of such data. For example, DSIT has an enterprise agreement with Microsoft to provide all staff with secure access to Copilot Chat and 1,500 staff with licenses to the cross-government Microsoft 365 Copilot experiment. Additional tool-specific guidance is provided to individuals at the point-of-use.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that farmers have low cost access for disposing of tractor tyres.

Every business that produces or deals with waste tyres has a legal duty of care to make sure that their waste is managed appropriately by an authorised person to ensure that risks to the environment are minimised. Any holder of end-of-life tractor tyres is able to check that someone is appropriately authorised to handle that waste through the Environment Agency's or their national equivalent environmental regulator's public register. This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

What assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland Ltd (Appellant) v The Scottish Ministers (Respondent) [2025] UKSC 16.

Single-sex spaces are protected in law and will always be protected by the Government. The recent Supreme Court ruling in the For Women Scotland case has provided much needed confidence and clarity for the National Health Service and adult social care providers to adapt their policies to ensure that same-sex spaces are always protected. This includes NHS England’s review of the Delivering same-sex accommodation guidance, as well as providers’ policies on same-sex spaces for staff.This is the law, and we expect all public service bodies to comply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade what assessment he has made of the potential impact of artificial intelligence on availability of jobs in the (a) legal and (b) financial sectors; and what steps he is taking to support workers transitioning to new roles.

In November 2023, the Department for Education published a report showing the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on areas within the UK labour market and education The impact of AI on UK jobs and training - GOV.UK. The report noted that professional occupations are more exposed to AI, particularly those associated with more clerical work and across finance, law and business management roles.The government is committed to ensuring both learners and employers have access to crucial digital and artificial intelligence skills that have the potential to increase productivity and create new high value jobs in the UK economy. To achieve this, the government is reforming the skills system. The government has established Skills England to form a coherent national picture of skills gaps and to help shape the technical education system so that it is responsive to skills needs.AI has the potential to bring significant benefits to legal professionals by automating routine work, allowing them to focus on matters of higher value and interest. AI and lawtech is also creating new jobs within the profession, such as legal technologists and tech developers.Supporting the safe adoption of AI in legal services is essential to ensuring the sector remains world leading. The Ministry of Justice does this via LawtechUK, a grant funded industry led programme created to support the development of lawtech. Across the past year LawtechUK has hosted a series on Generative AI, brining experts in law, technology, and regulation to explore the benefits of AI and how to mitigate any risks.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of declining (a) bee and (b) pollinator populations on UK food production and what steps he is taking to promote pollinator-friendly farming practices.

This Government is committed to halting the decline in species abundance by 2030 and reversing species decline, reducing the risk of species extinction and restoring and creating more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat outside protected sites by 2042. For pollinator species, we are considering lessons learned from a recently completed review of our 2021-24 Pollinator Action Plan, which set out actions to address key risks to insect pollinator populations, including monitoring potential or emerging risks. Although honeybees face many of the same environmental pressures as wild pollinators, their population is driven largely by the number of beekeepers willing and able to keep bees. Figures from the annual UK Hive Count suggest that honey bee numbers are quite stable. Healthy soils that are rich in nutrients and organic matter, abundant pollinators, and clean water are essential for sustainable food production. We will support farmers and land managers to help restore nature, which is vital to safeguard our long-term food security, support productivity, and build resilience to climate change.

What (a) quantity and (b) estimated street value of drugs retrieved from flotation devices at sea have been seized by Border Force in 2025; and what steps her Department is taking to help tackle the use of those devices for illegal activity.

Border Force has made one seizure of drugs so far in the calendar year 2025 that was packaged as an At Sea Drop-Off (ASDOs). The total seizure was 1464kg (Net) Cocaine and would have a street value of approximately £58,560,000 (£40,000 per kg). This was not directly retrieved from a flotation device as Border Force detected and seized before it entered the sea.Border Force works around the clock to disrupt drug supply chains and will continue working closely with national and overseas partners to identify and prevent the new methods criminals take to smuggling illegal drugs. The collective response in dismantling drug smuggling operations from Police, the National Crime Agency and Border Force is helping the government deliver its safer streets mission by smashing organised crime gangs and saving lives.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the prevalence of microplastics in UK drinking water sources; and what steps he has taken to (a) regulate and (b) reduce microplastic pollution in the water supply chain.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 April to Question UIN 45139.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs what steps he has taken as part of the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (a) to help prevent the persecution of religious minorities and (b) to support progress in defeating Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa.

Nigeria is facing rising conflict and insecurity. This includes terrorist groups in the North East such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa who target all those who do not subscribe to their extremist views. Through our UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP), we are working with Nigeria's security forces to tackle insecurity and violence against civilian communities, including those of different religious backgrounds and belief systems. For example, in North-East Nigeria our partnership is delivering vital risk education around Improvised Explosive Devices and establishing civilian-military engagement to address local security needs. As part of the SDP, we have also committed to working with Nigeria to respond to the shared threat of terrorism and violent extremism. At the last UK-Nigeria SDP dialogue in February 2024 we welcomed a commitment from Nigeria on timely, effective and human rights compliant investigations of, and prosecutions for, terrorism crimes.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the prevalence of microplastics in UK drinking water sources; and what steps he has taken to regulate and reduce microplastic pollution in the water supply chain.

Drinking water quality is a devolved matter and therefore I can only respond in relation to England. The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) has published two research projects on microplastics in drinking water – one in January 2019 reviewing the potential risks from nanoparticles and microplastics and another in October 2022 looking at the removal of microplastics by drinking water treatment processes. This found that more than 99.99% of microplastic particles were removed through conventional drinking water treatment processes and that microplastics were present at very low levels in drinking water. Their contribution to total daily exposure, and presenting a potential risk to human health, was likely to be low or insignificant. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also recommended that routine monitoring of microplastics in drinking water was not necessary at this time. The DWI published a report in December 2024 recommending revisions to some of the parameters listed in the drinking water regulations.

Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of declining bee and pollinator populations on UK food production; and what steps he plans to take to promote pollinator-friendly farming practices.

This Government is committed to restoring and protecting nature. We are committed to halting the decline in species abundance by 2030 and reversing species decline, reducing the risk of species extinction and restoring and creating more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat by 2042. For our pollinator species we are considering lessons learned from the recently completed review of our Pollinator Action Plan (PAP), which set out plans to fulfil the vision, aims and objectives of the National Pollinator Strategy over the last three-year period from 2021-24. Figures from the annual UK Hive Count suggest that honey bee numbers are stable. Healthy soils that are rich in nutrients and organic matter, abundant pollinators and clean water are essential for sustainable food production. We will provide farmers and land managers with the support they need to help restore nature, which is vital to safeguard our long-term food security, support productivity and build resilience to climate change.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what types of humanitarian aid his Department is providing to Myanmar; and what assurance his Department has that the aid will reach those in need.

The UK has announced up to £25 million in life-saving support for people affected by the recent earthquake in Myanmar. This includes up to £5 million to match the British public's generous donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal.The UK's earthquake support is funding local actors on the ground who can directly access affected populations. UK-funded food, water, healthcare and shelter supplies are already reaching affected areas, helping over 86,000 people so far.Since the 2021 coup the UK has provided more than £170 million in live-saving humanitarian assistance, emergency healthcare and education support, and work to support civil society and local communities in Myanmar.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of prioritising aid for Christians and ethnic faith groups in Myanmar following the recent earthquake.

The UK has announced up to £25 million in life-saving support for people affected by the earthquake in Myanmar, including ethnic and religious minorities.The UK's earthquake support is funding local actors on the ground who can directly access affected populations and will prioritise the most in need.The UK Government is committed to defending religious freedom for all in Myanmar. In April this year, the UK co-sponsored a UN Human Rights Council resolution on Myanmar, emphasising the importance of eliminating all forms of discrimination against ethnic and religious minority groups and stressing the importance of equal access to health services, education, livelihood opportunities, and basic services.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much and what proportion of Government funding for the promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief was allocated to supporting persecuted religious communities globally in the each of the last three financial years.

The UK champions and remains strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) John Bunyan Fund (JBF), the designated programme for FoRB-focused overseas projects has a budget allocation of £460,720 in the financial year 2024/25. In the financial year 2023/24 the JBF spent £170,000 and in financial year 2022/23, £70,000. The FCDO works to ensure that Official Development Assistance (ODA) is allocated to those who are most vulnerable and most in need of this assistance irrespective of race, religion, or ethnicity. This includes minority religious or belief communities who are assessed by our partners when determining those most in need of protection and assistance.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to hold discussions with his counterpart in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on (a) the recent killing of Christians and (b) other ongoing human rights violations in that country.

Recent attacks by IS-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are alarming and we are deeply saddened by the loss of life. Protection of civilians, promotion of respect between different religious and non-religious groups, and human rights are priorities for the UK. The UK continues to work through UN bodies and other multilateral fora to promote and protect these rights in the DRC. Ministers and senior officials including our Ambassador in Kinshasa regularly raise the importance of civilian protection with the Government of DRC. The UK continues to remind all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law and make clear that all those who have committed human rights violations and abuses must be held accountable.